Maine College Softball 5 at UMass Lowell 3

In game two, Maine carried a 3-0 lead into the fifth. However, UMass Lowell’s offense camLowell, Mass. — The University of Maine softball team (9-18, 4-1 America East) split its conference doubleheader on Thursday afternoon at UMass Lowell. The Black Bears recorded 13 hits in game one’s 8-2 victory before falling in the finale, 5-3.

Rachel Harvey tallied four hits, five RBI, three runs, a home run and stole a pair of bases to lead the way in an impressive offensive day for the senior catcher. Maddie Decker reached base five times, going 3-for-3 with a double and adding a pair of walks. Alyssa Derrick, Rachel Carlson and Erika Leonard each also chipped in three hits.

Annie Kennedy finished the day with 7.2 inning of shutout ball, allowing just five hits in two appearances with three strikeouts. Kennedy entered game one in relief and shut the door on the River Hawks, going 6.1 innings to pick-up the shutout victory while allowing just a pair of hits and fanning two. In game two, Kennedy allowed three hits and no runs in 1.1 innings of work.e alive for five runs in the fifth as the Black Bears dropped their first conference game of the year, 5-3.

Leonard scored a run and drove in another while Derrick added the second RBI of the game to lead Maine’s hitting attack.

The first run of the game came in the top of the first when Derrick’s two-out single up the middle brought in Harvey from second.

Maine tacked on a run in the top of the third, again putting together a two-out rally. Carlson’s singled to third before advancing on a passed ball. She would come in to score after Derrick ripped a shot to third, which was ruled an error.

The Black Bears built a 3-0 advantage with another run in the fourth, again scoring with two down. Maddie Decker worked a walk before being replaced on the bases by Chloe Douglass. Douglass stole second before moving to third on a fielder’s choice. She would later come in to score on Leonard’s single to left.

However, UMass Lowell grabbed the lead with a five-run bottom of the fifth, all coming with two outs and all unearned.